Smart budget awaits Ossining taxpayers

May 17, 2011

When a school district budget fails at the ballot box the Board of Education is then faced with three options: put forth the identical budget for a revote; submit a reduced budget for a revote; or move immediately to a contingency budget.

In Ossining, a contingency budget would require about $921,716 additional cuts from an already sparse budget. The 1.75 percent tax levy of Ossining's proposed budget is already less than the 2 percent cap that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is suggesting. These additional contingency cuts would likely include much-needed infrastructure work, equipment, nonessential building maintenance and repairs and some staff salaries and supplies. Also, public use of buildings and fields would become fee-driven; currently the community has access to district buildings and fields at no cost. If the proposed budget does not pass, the estimated yearly difference in taxes for the average assessed house for the proposed budget versus a contingency budget will be $70 in Ossining, $175 in New Castle and $137 in Yorktown.

Ossining's proposed budget already includes numerous cuts, including decreasing 11 percent of the administration and a $790,000 reduction in employee compensation. We already have one of the lowest per-pupil spending costs in our area. Our modest budget increase is also below the average for schools in Westchester. How much more can our students and schools afford to lose?

I am writing as an individual community member, not representing the views of the entire Board of Education. Please vote today from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Ossining High School gymnasium.